Chamling: ‘Power-ful’ stand

Gangtok, April 6: Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling today accused the opposition parties and “outside forces” of instigating protests against setting up of hydel projects in the state.

Chamling warned that his government and the Sikkimese would not tolerate outside interference (referring to the support of the Lepchas of Kalimpong and Darjeeling to the protests) in the internal matters of the state.

“Outside forces and the opposition parties have been influencing the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) in the ongoing protests,” Chamling said at a gathering of people from the district at Samman Bhavan here.

Nearly 1,000 people from North Sikkim led by three legislators of the district reached Gangtok in a rally of about 200 vehicles yesterday. They were here to register their support to the proposed power projects in the region. A memorandum signed by the people and panchayat members of the district was submitted to the chief minister, demanding immediate implementation of the projects. “If the projects are not implemented, we will resort to hunger strike,” it said.

Most of the power projects including the 280mw Panang hydel plant are coming up in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu in North district. The ACT has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Bhutia-Lepcha (BL) House here since March 10 as it thinks setting up of the projects will hurt religious sentiments and affect the ecological balance of the region.

Chamling said the “anti-Sikkimese forces” have “captured” BL House.

The ACT has refuted the charge. “It’s a non-political organisation and cannot be blamed if political parties support its cause,” a release said.